Uncle Alex

I remember as a thirteen year-old hanging in my grandparents basement with my older cousin. She was cool, pretty, and I wanted to be just like her.  Unbeknownst to my parents, she was entertaining me in the basement showing me how to smoke.  Like, not smoke smoke, but she showed me how to tap a cigarette, hold it in my fingers, and even let me pretend to inhale.  Not harmful, but scandalous nonetheless.   I knew if my parents caught me I'd be dead, but that probably added to the excitement of it.  I think that's part of childhood--doing something you know your parents wouldn't approve of.  The key is for it to be something that's really not that harmful and also for them to not find out.

Skip to many years later, for my kids that older cousin has returned in the form of Uncle Alex.  And, instead of unlit cigarettes it was hours of watching 'The Walking Dead' and instead of trying to hide it from me they told me from day one and everyday there after how cool and amazing it was!

 Not only have they told me, they have told anyone who will listen that they watched this violent, foul-mouthed, adult-content show.  Gavin told me after school last week, "I told my teacher in chapel today I watched The Walking Dead."  Harrison told one of the carpool kids he's on season two, episode five!  What??

My conversation with Alex went like this:

No apologies, no remorse!  It was my young, impressionable son's fault!

So, was it harmful what Uncle Alex did? You be the judge--Steve and I have had maybe one night alone in bed without scared kids sleeping in between us.  I have had more then one side-eye look from other parents when my kids openly discuss their new favorite show. And, Gavin has become obsessed obsessed with zombies.  It's all he talks about.

He told me he saw over one hundred zombies in the back yard; he donned his most 'Walking Dead' lookalike costume and spent the next few hours outside slaying them all.

Go ahead and try convincing him zombies aren't real.  Your face will be blue and he'll still be insisting he saw one just the other day. 

I hope Alex has children one day if only so I can get my revenge.  I don't know that I could go so far as to show my young niece or nephew a movie that will haunt them for years.  But, what I can do is introduce them to a show like Barney and help them create an obsession--leaving Alex to spend all of his free time watching a fat, purple dinosaur sing songs.